In a grievous incident last Thursday, 16 Nigerian military personnel were ambushed and killed in the Okuama community of Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, as disclosed by Major General Cecil Esekhaigbe (retd.) on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief. The soldiers, comprising two Majors, one Captain, and 12 other ranks from the 181 Amphibious Battalion, were on a peacekeeping mission aimed at quelling clashes between two communities in the state when they were tragically ambushed by residents.
President Bola Tinubu has condemned the killings, assuring that the perpetrators will face justice. This incident has spotlighted the challenges of peacekeeping within local communities and the dangers posed by the proliferation of arms among civilian populations.
General Esekhaigbe highlighted that the mission was intended to investigate the detention of their colleagues and not to engage in combat. The lack of preparedness for an ambush was cited as a critical failure, suggesting that if the soldiers had anticipated an attack, the outcome might have been different. This tragic event underscores the importance of understanding local dynamics and the necessity for continuous training in guerrilla warfare tactics.
The former general also pointed out the broader issues of insecurity in the region, attributing them to the proliferation of small arms, drug abuse, and governance lapses. He criticized the amnesty program, which was supposed to disarm militia groups, for its ineffectiveness, indicating that the local communities still possess sophisticated weaponry.
Esekhaigbe called for a comprehensive overhaul of institutional frameworks rather than superficial name changes or reassignments. He emphasized the need for the National Orientation Agency to actively work towards reshaping societal attitudes towards violence and for state governors to utilize their security allocations more effectively to protect citizens.
This incident not only mourns the loss of military lives but also serves as a critical reflection point for security, governance, and community engagement strategies in Nigeria. The call to action stresses on reevaluating and strengthening the mechanisms of peacekeeping and security to prevent such tragedies in the future.
